


given the chance to grow

by chadsuke



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, No Uchiha Massacre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 03:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13604481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chadsuke/pseuds/chadsuke
Summary: First loves aren't always forever loves.





	given the chance to grow

**Author's Note:**

> Second Femslash February fic of the day, since I forgot to upload one yesterday! I love Izumi with all my heart. She deserved better.

When Izumi was seven years old, she was absolutely, 100% sure she was in love with Itachi Uchiha. He was kind, or at least he tried to be. He liked to eat dango with her and chase after his little brother Sasuke and train. He was so good, so advanced – she wanted to be as strong as he was, some day.

Sure, he blew her off, and sure, he discouraged her, but she was positive that as she grew stronger and he could see how much she was advancing, he would support her.

It helped that he was kind of adorable, too. His smile had only ever been directed at Sasuke – she hoped that someday, it would be directed her way.

* * *

When Izumi was eleven years old, she wished she had a crush on Shisui instead.

Nothing she did for Itachi would be good enough, she felt like. It didn’t matter that she graduated a year early, it didn’t matter that she activated her Sharingan before him, it didn’t matter that she was good at being a shinobi, good at fighting, that she was good good _good,_ because nothing would ever be right for him! Nothing!

He told her to quit, he belittled her dream, he was-

He just-

And she still liked him! Why did she like him?

* * *

When Izumi was thirteen years old, she broke up with Itachi. “I don’t like you anymore,” she told him, and he stared at her, completely nonplussed.

“Okay,” he said, and got up, ready to take his dango with him.

Izumi stared for a moment before reaching out, catching his leg. “What are you doing?”

Itachi stopped. Looked down at her. “I thought you didn’t like me anymore,” he said. “Shouldn’t I leave?”

The girl rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “I meant I don’t have a crush on you anymore. We’re still friends.”

He considered that, for a moment, and then sat down once more. “Oh. Okay. Why don’t you have a crush on me?” Itachi blanched. “That’s, uh. I’m okay with that. I’m not… complaining.”

She giggled. “I just don’t anymore. I thought I did, but I don’t really. It was more…” She considered. “I guess it was like. The image of you. Not the real you.”

Itachi nodded. “I understand.”

Izumi wasn’t sure he did, actually, because he tended to fail at all social interactions, but as long as he said he did, who was she to argue?

* * *

She doesn’t ever, actually, end up on a crush with Shisui. She’s kind of glad. He’s only a little older than them, yeah, but he feels like more of an older brother than anything else. She doesn’t know if Itachi feels that way – to be honest, she’s pretty sure that Itachi is gay, now – but she doesn’t ever get a crush on him.

He’s cool, but he’s not really boyfriend material. What he is good at, though? _Relationship advice._

“Shisui, I have no idea how to tell her,” she laments over her usual dango, and he has the audacity to laugh.

“You never had a problem telling Itachi,” he teases, and she flushes.

That. Was different. And she says so. “That was different!”

Shisui grins. “Alright, how so?”

Pink, Izumi looks down at her plate. “It’s… Itachi was a friend. I’ve known him forever, so it…” She sighs. “It’s different. I’ve only talked to Hana a few times.”

He hmms. “Well, I could always tell her?”

Her head shoots up. “Don’t you _dare_ ,” she hisses, and he just laughs at her.

“What’s going on?” asks a familiar voice, and Izumi whips around, on the verge of panicking, before she relaxes. It’s just Itachi, head tilted to the side in confusion.

Shisui snorts. “Just trying to help Izumi with her lady problem.”

Itachi looks exasperated, or as exasperated as the 15-year-old Uchiha heir ever looks as he climbs onto his own stool. “Why won’t you just tell her?”

Izumi turns even redder, if that’s possible, and she shoves her best friend. “Shut up. I don’t even know if she likes girls!”

The oldest Uchiha rolls his eyes. “She does. She’s a lesbian.”

“…Oh,” murmurs Izumi, and she realizes she’s kind of out of excuses. Wait, not- Not quite! “She’s on a mission right now, but…”

Itachi steals one of her dango skewers. “If you don’t tell her myself,” he tells her, slipping off the stool and starting to leave before she realizes what he’s done. “I’ll tell her as soon as she returns.”

And then he’s gone, and Izumi is left cursing while Shisui just laughs.

* * *

She does tell her. Actually, she pins her down the day after Hana returns from her mission, sliding up next to her at Ichiraku. “Um, hi, Hana,” she says, and the Inuzuka smiles at her.

“Hey, Izumi.” They don’t know each other very well, but they were in the same class, and that does count for something.

“Hana, I was…” Izumi inhales and exhales. “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

Hana tries to stop her smile from growing, but Izumi doesn’t notice. “Okay. Shoot.”

“Would you…” Inhale, exhale. “Would you go on a date with me?”

She nods. “Sure thing. Tomorrow? Your favorite dango place?”

Izumi’s mind shortcircuits for a moment. “Wait- Wait, just like that? How did you know?”

Hana grimaces. “Sorry. Itachi kind of… let it slip. It wasn’t on purpose, I don’t think.”

It’s _Itachi._ Izumi knows him like the back of her hand. He wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t incredibly deliberate, and she growls. “I’m going to kill him!” She slides off the stool, and is about to make a run for it, before she stops. Turns. And beams at Hana. “Tomorrow sounds good. At three?”

Amused, Hana nods. “Great!” chirps Izumi. “See you then!”

And it’s like she’s flipped a switch, that dark scowl growing on her face as she stomps off. “Itachi Uchiha!” she yells at the top of her lung, uncaring who hears her. “I’m going to kill you!”

Hana laughs and returns to her noodles, slurping them up. It’s too bad Izumi left before she could tell her Itachi was on a mission…


End file.
